#USA #Climate Education #Hasselt #Macklemore #Climate Action Project

Macklemore Champions Global Climate Education

Macklemore, the Grammy-winning artist, addressed an audience of teachers and students worldwide during Climate Action Day 2025, emphasizing the crucial role of education in combating climate change. He celebrated the efforts of millions of students as they transition from fearing environmental challenges to actively participating in solutions. The students have engaged in innovative projects such as solar lights, vertical gardens, and biodegradable plastics. Each initiative is documented, allowing the impact of these student-led actions to be quantified through a tracking algorithm that showcases the reduction in CO₂ emissions.

A Personal Message from Macklemore

In his heartfelt speech, Macklemore connected personally with the audience, stating, "I have three young children and think about the world we will leave them every day... Your generation can be the one that changes the course and gives our planet a more hopeful future. You can act and save lives." He praised the vital work being done in classrooms around the globe, calling it a critical step towards addressing the climate crisis. "That’s what the Climate Action Project is all about—one classroom at a time."

The Power of Education

Macklemore introduced the Climate Action Project, an online educational initiative lasting six weeks that guides classrooms in grappling with climate change. Through this initiative, students are recognized for their problem-solving capabilities and collective action. The United Nations acknowledged back in 2020 that education is a crucial factor in tackling climate change. However, only a few governments worldwide have made climate education obligatory, resulting in slow political progress. The Climate Action Project works to reverse this understanding. By engaging youth, it empowers them to alter their behaviors—ultimately shifting societal mindsets.

Students are moving beyond mere passive learning to make measurable contributions toward climate solutions, fostering the political will needed for systemic change.

Global Scale

The campaign boasts an impressive reach, with 7 million participants across 181 countries. It has achieved tangible results, cutting down CO₂ emissions by 7,600 tons through student actions, categorized as follows:

• - 2,800 tons related to transportation
• - 2,100 tons through consumption changes
• - 1,400 tons by adopting new lifestyles

These impacts are meticulously analyzed through a scientist-developed algorithm, which will be featured in the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report 2024.

Moreover, students have crafted 2,400 innovative solutions, with 75% inspiring their parents to make changes at home. Initiatives in classrooms range from creating biodegradable plastics to constructing biogas plants and installing vertical gardens in urban areas.

Over 2.3 million trees have been voluntarily planted by students, who are utilizing AI to develop new climate protection apps and kickstarting local tree-planting initiatives in communities around the globe.

A Call for Collective Action

"Macklemore’s message underscores a fundamental truth—we teach that a global crisis demands collective, informed action that leads to behavioral change," states Koen Timmers, co-founder of the Climate Action Project. "We have created the model he speaks of—shifting the focus from doom and gloom to action and proof that youth, when empowered, become catalysts for change." This nonprofit organization is dedicated to advancing climate education for all and stands as the sole entity globally to track the impacts of such education through a proprietary algorithm. Its partners include notable organizations such as NASA, LEGO Group, BIC, and Apple.

For those interested, the Climate Action Project offers a free six-week climate education initiative, with impacts being felt in the UK and across Europe. Annual events such as Climate Action Day have featured speakers including Jane Goodall and Prince William. For more information, visit Climate Action Project or check out their educational climate report at here.

Watch Macklemore’s message here!